Tobacco measuring and feeding machine



May 20, 1941. J WYSONG 2,243,058

TOBACCO MEASURING AND FEEDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheetl 52 ,i J H 6 35 I 21 V 54 24 15 Q 5; 1/5 I 2.

May 20; 1941. J WYSQNG I I 2,243,058

TOBACCO MEASURING AND FEEDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet2 1 I znzlmnslfilm IZQPQ q.

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I 6 III WW IIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIlIli W 7!? WW Patented May 20, 1941TQBAQCCO MEASURING AND FEEDING MA CHINE James R. Wysong, Richmond, Va.,assignor to Larus & Brother 00. Inc., Richmond, Va.

Appiication December 13, 1938, Serial No. 245,529

8 Claims. ('Cl. dbl- 136) This invention relates to tobacco measuringand feeding device, and in general constitutes an improvement onmachines of the type disclosed by my United States Patent No. 1,7 63,546granted June 10, 1930.

While the machine of my prior patent just noted has been operatingsatisfactorily over a relatively long period of time, yet there arecertain objectionable characteristics that I have striven to overcome.One of such objections is the loss of lubricating eificiency resultingfrom uneven wear on the pads which function to moisten the periphery ofthe rotary drum in which the measuring pockets are located. This pad hada tendency to wear unevenly resulting in inefiicient lubrication of thedrum and discarding of the pad before the latter had served its maximumusefulness. The present invention embodies a construction whicheffectively overcomes this objection.

Another feature of disadvantage in the machine of my prior patent, aswell as other known prior machines of this general type, was thetendency towards variation in quantity of the amount of tobaccodelivered from the measuring pockets, ofttimes resulting in short weightin delivery. This was due to the fact that some of the granules oftobacco stuck to the wall of the pocket and also along the edge of thelatter. I have overcome this by providing means for cleaning the pocketsafter delivery of the tobacco therefrom.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to generallyimprove tobacco measuring and feeding machines and particularly those ofthe general type disclosed in my prior patent above noted.

Other objects and advantages of the inven tion will become apparent inView of the following description taken in conjunction with thedrawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a view in front elevation of a tobaccomeasuring and feedingmachine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the member for lubricating thedrum and coacting parts; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail View of a modified means for operatingthe pocket-cleaning air blast.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first briefly to the partswhich are common to the machine of my prior patent, the housing of themachine is generally indicated at 5 and is supported upon legs 6, 6a. Atthe bottom of the machine is a discharge chute l, which discharges apredetermined quantity of tobacco to a wrapping machine, not shown, andforming no part of the present invention.

The upper portion of the housing 5 is provided with an opening or inlet8 into which the tobacco is discharged from a hopper 9 having adetachable mouth I 0 into which the tobacco is fed from a suitablesource of supply.

The housing 5 is provided with a rotatable drum H having therein aplurality of pockets 12 adapted to be filled with tobacco from thehoppers, the tobacco being discharged from the respective pocketsthrough the chute 1 when a pocket reaches the upper end of the chute.The drum II has a central hub l3 fixed on a shaft M, the latter havingits opposite ends journaled in bearings l5, l5a, the bearing l5 beingprovided with a yoke l6 having its upper and lower ends attached to theside of the housing 5. As the shaft I 4 is rotated, the drum II willalso be rotated to cause the pockets l2 to successively pass beneath thehopper 9 and receive charges of tobacco, said charges dropping throughthe chute I when the pockets reach the same.

The shaft [4 may be driven through the medium of sprocket wheel I! andsprocket chain I8 (Fig. 2) from the packaging machine, not shown, orfrom any other suitable source of power. A shaft is projects through thehopper 9 and has thereon a series of agitator fingers Ida which serve toensure a constant flow of tobacco into engagement with the periphery ofthe drum when the machine is in operation. The agitator shaft l9 hasthereon sprocket 20 which has a drive connection with shaft l4 throughsprocket chain 20a.

In my prior patent above noted, the tobacco had a tendency to clog orlump to some extent adjacent the walls of the feed hopper, resulting inuneven feed of the tobacco to the drum. I have overcome this byproviding agitator fingers which extend substantially to the wall of thehopper with, of course, suflicient clearance to ensure free rotation ofthe fingers.

In the bottom of the hopper 9, or adjacent the inlet to the housing 5,is an additional agitator 2| mounted on shaft 2 la. which has securedthereon sprocket 22 driven from sprocket chain 29a. As soon as the frontends of the pocket I2 start to pass into a position to be filled, theagitator 2| will cause the tobacco to readily fall into the pocket.

In order to vary the capacity or sides of the pockets l2 plungers 23 areprovided and are adjustable through handwheel 24.

The foregoing parts with the exception of the particular type ofagitator fingers are features common to the machine disclosed in myprior Patent 1,763,546 above noted.

One of the features of improvement of the present invention consists inthe mounting of the lubricant member for the drum. At one side of thehousing there is provided an arcuate pad-carrying member or door 25(termed a trap door in my prior patent above noted) which has outer sideflanges through which a pivot or hinge pin 26 extends, the holes for thelatter through said flanges being in the form of slots 21 which lie in aradial plane with respect to the drum to permit a certain amount ofradial movement of the door on its pivot. The opposite ends of the pin26 are anchored in the adjacent side walls of the drum. The door ismaintained under resilient pressure through the'medi-um of a spring 28mounted on a bolt 28a which at its inner ,end is connected to the outerwall of the door, and at its outer end projects through an open slotformed in a pivotally mounted yoke 29, and is held in position by pin30. The yoke or bracket 29 at its opposite ends removably engages pinsor trunnions 29a projected .from the housing. Thus the bracket may beswung clear of the door by releasing spring bolt 28a from its slotpermitting the door to swing downwardly for inspection and repair orreplacement of the lubricant pad, or the bracket may be completelyremoved whenever desired. On the inner face of the door 25 is secured alubricant ,pad 3.! which may be held in place by any suitable-means. Alubricant cup 32 feeds lubricant to the pad through a tube 3211 whichfeeds into a plurality of branch tubes 32b and thence through the doorand into grooves 32c formed in the inner surface of the door .in rear ofthe pad.

Due to the fact that the pressure from the spring 28 is exertedsubstantially centrally of the door, and also due to the fact that thedoor has a limited amount of radial play, the pad will be pressedagainst the drum evenly throughout its surface area and wear will beeven throughout the life of the pad. This results in a markedimprovement in the lubricating efficiency of the pad as well asconsiderable lengthening of the life of the latter.

To ensure against short weight, or uneven measurements of the quantitiesreceived by and discharged from the respective pockets [2, an air blastdevice 33 is provided and is arranged at the upper part of an opening inthe wall of the housing 5 to direct a blast of air on each pocket andadjacent surface of the drum as they move into a position adjacent saidblast. The blast may be supplied from line 33a which extends to asuitable source of supply. It will be noted that the blast device 33 isin the form of a manifold which extends completely across the exteriorsurface of the drum and pockets therein and that the opening in thehousing is of substantially the same width as each pocket. In thismanner, all particles of tobacco are removed from the walls of thepockets as well as from the edges of the latter and exterior surface ofthe drum so that not only is a complete filling of fresh tobacco ensuredfrom the hopper S, but also a more complete discharge or dumping of thepockets into and through the hopper 1 due to the fact that the'tobaccoparticles have less tendency to adhere to a clean surface. This alsoavoids any tendency for the tobacco particles to gradually cake on theWalls of the pockets.

Where the supply of compressed air for the blast is unlimited, or therewould be no object in conserving the same, the blast may be continuousand controlled through the medium of a hand valve 34. However, ininstallations where it is desired to conserve the supply of compressedair, the supply may be intermittent and worked through the medium of acam 35 mounted on shaft I4 and acting on a spring return valve member 36through bell crank 36a, note Fig. 4, the cam being timed to release theblast as the pockets move into a position in line with the blast.

A shield or cover 31 is provided to catch the particles of tobacco blownfrom the pockets 12, this tobacco falling into a pan 38 where it may beremoved whenever desired.

It will be understood that certain changes in construction and designmay be adopted in my improved machine without departing from the spiritor scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tobacco measuring and feeding .ma chine, a housing, a rotatabledrum in said housing having tobacco-receiving pockets therein, means forsupplying a lubricant and moistening solution to the periphery of saiddrum including a door member shaped to conform to the periphery of thedrum and having a lubricant pad secured against the inner surfacethereof, means mounting said member in said housing permitting a limitedradial movement of the member bodily with respect to the drum, a backingup element in rear of said door member and resilient means interposedbetween said element and door member and arranged to exert a resilientthrust on the latter substantially equally throughout the area of saidmember.

2. In a tobacco measuring and feeding machine, a housing, a rotatabledrum in said housing having tobacco-receiving pockets therein, means forsupplying a lubricant and moistening solution to the periphery of saiddrum including a member in the form of a door pivotally connected tosaid housing in a manner such as to permit the door to have a limitedamount of radial movement bodily with respect to the drum, a bracketconnected to said housing and a spring interposed between said bracketand door and arranged to exert thrust on said door substantially equallythroughout the area of the latter.

3. In a tobacco measuring and feeding machine, a housing, a rotatabledrum in said housing having tobacco-receiving pockets therein, anarcuate member in the form of a door disposed in an opening in saidhousing, means pivotally connecting said door to said housing permittinga limited amount of radial movement of the door bodily with respect tothe drum, a lubricant pad disposed against the inner surface of saiddoor and adapted to engage the periphery of said drum, means forsupplying a lubricant to said pad, a yoke pivotally connected to saidhousing and extending across the housing in rear of said door, and aspring interposed between said yoke and said door and arranged to exerta thrust on the latter substantially centrally of the door.

4. In a tobacco measuring and feeding machine, a housing, a rotatabledrum in said housing having tobacco-receiving pockets therein, means forsupplying a lubricant and moistening

